الصبرُpatience منamong عُدَدِdefenses الرَّزاياcalamities فاصبرِso be patient
الصبرُ من عُدَدِ الرَّزايا فاصبرِ
إِنَّindeed المُطيلَone who prolongs تلهفاًlamentation كالمُقْصِرِlike one who cuts it short
إِنَّ المُطيلَ تلهفاً كالمُقْصِرِ
Patience is among the defenses against calamities, so be patient.
Patience is a virtue, so be patient
Indeed, one who prolongs lamentation is like one who cuts it short.
The impatient is like the tardy
لنwill not يَفْثَأrestrain الأيامَthe days عنfrom فَتَكاتِهاtheir deadly assaults
لن يَفْثَأ الأيامَ عن فَتَكاتِها
جَزَعُanguish الجزوعِthe distraught person وَعَبْرَةُand the tear المُستَعبِرِthe weeper
جَزَعُ الجزوعِ وَعَبْرَةُ المُستَعبِرِ
The days will not be restrained from their deadly assaults
Days will not cease their havoc
by the anguish of the distraught or the tear of one who weeps.
Nor the anguish of the anguished, or the tears of those who cry
هُنَّthey الخطوبُcalamities كماas علمتَyou know وكلُّناand all of us
هُنَّ الخطوبُ كما علمتَ وكلُّنا
منfrom كيدِهِنَّtheir wiles بمسمعٍwithin hearing وبمنظرand within sight
من كيدِهِنَّ بمسمعٍ وبمنظر
Such are calamities, as you know; and all of us
Such are calamities, as you know, and we are all
are within hearing and sight of their wiles.
Witnesses and victims of their plots
تمشيthey walk الضَّراءَstealthily فماand do not تهابُfear أخاa possessor of غنىًwealth
تمشي الضَّراءَ فما تهابُ أخا غنىً
فتحيدُand so they turn aside عنهfrom him ولاnor ترقُّfeel pity لمقْترِfor one in poverty
فتحيدُ عنه ولا ترقُّ لمقْترِ
They creep unseen, fearing no man of wealth,
Hardship walks along, it fears no rich brother
and so do not turn aside from him, nor pity the poor.
It turns away from him, and is not softened for the needy
عَصَفَravaged الزمانُtime بِجُرْهُمٍupon Jurhum وسماand rose إلىtoward
عَصَفَ الزمانُ بِجُرْهُمٍ وسما إلى
طَسْمٍTasm ولمand did not يُغْفِلْoverlook مقاولَprinces of حميرHimyar
طَسْمٍ ولم يُغْفِلْ مقاولَ حمير
Time ravaged Jurhum and rose against
Time has swept away their glories, aiming arrows
Tasm, nor did it overlook the princes of Himyar.
At a target, neglecting no speech of protectors
أُنْظُرْlook أُعافَىdid it spare? تبَّعاًTubbaʿ عفَّheld back عنfrom
أُنْظُرْ أُعافَى تبَّعاً عفَّ عن
كسرىKisra فَخَلَّدَand so made immortal أَوor عفاspared عنfrom قَيْصَرِCaesar
كسرى فَخَلَّدَ أَو عفا عن قَيْصَرِ
Look: did it spare Tubbaʿ, hold back from
Consider how Tubba spared and forgave
Kisra and make him immortal, or spare Caesar?
Chosroes, or how he pardoned Caesar
أأباO Abu محمدٍMuhammad الجليلِgrievous مصابُهhis loss
أأبا محمدٍ الجليلِ مصابُه
بأبيin Abu شجاعٍShujaʿ صنوِهِhis brother المتخيَّرthe distinguished one
بأبي شجاعٍ صنوِهِ المتخيَّر
O Abu Muhammad, grievous is your loss
Oh Abu Muhammad the Glorious, his affliction
of Abu Shujaʿ, your distinguished brother,
Is with Abu Shuja, his carefully selected mate
بشقيقِهin his brother منfrom خَلْفِهِbehind him وشقيقِهand his brother
بشقيقِه من خَلْفِهِ وشقيقِه
فيin خُلْقهhis character وشقيقِهِand his brother فيin العُنْصُرlineage
في خُلْقه وشقيقِهِ في العُنْصُر
your brother who came after you, and your brother
His brother after him, his brother
in character, and your brother in lineage.
In character, his brother in lineage
ماthat which كانَwas معلوماًknown بأَنَّthat حلولهits coming
ما كانَ معلوماً بأَنَّ حلوله
حتمٌinevitable فحلَّand so it came لوقتهِat its appointed time لوeven if يُنْكَرis denied
حتمٌ فحلَّ لوقتهِ لو يُنْكَر
That whose coming was known
It was not known that his death
to be inevitable has come at its appointed time, even if denied.
Was certain, so it came at its time though unpleasant
منwho ذاthat person بأنيابِby the fangs of الردىdeath لمnot يُفْتَرَسْwas devoured
من ذا بأنيابِ الردى لم يُفْتَرَسْ
أمor منwho بمخلبِby the claw of صَرْفِهِits reversals لمnot يُعْقَرwas maimed
أم من بمخلبِ صَرْفِهِ لم يُعْقَر
Who has not been devoured by the fangs of death?
Who with the fangs of fate has not been torn
Or who has not been maimed by the claw of its reversals?
Or by the claws of destiny been gashed
فالْقَso meet الأمورَevents بقلبِwith a heart راضٍcontent مذعنٍsubmissive
فالْقَ الأمورَ بقلبِ راضٍ مذعنٍ
لمدبِّرٍto a governor للأمرِof affairs غيرِnot مدبَّرgoverned
لمدبِّرٍ للأمرِ غيرِ مدبَّر
So meet events with a heart content and submissive
Accept matters with a content and obedient heart
to the One who orders affairs, yet is ordered by none.
For the Planner of affairs, not the planned
مِحَنُtrials الفتىthe man يُخْبِرْنَthey reveal عنabout فضلِthe worth of الفتىthe man
مِحَنُ الفتى يُخْبِرْنَ عن فضلِ الفتى
كالنارِlike fire مخبرةٌrevealing بفضلِthe excellence of العنبرambergris
كالنارِ مخبرةٌ بفضلِ العنبر
A man's trials reveal his worth,
A young man's trials reveal the worth of the man
as fire reveals the excellence of ambergris.
As fire tells the value of amber
ياO آلhouse of طاروفٍTaruf بكمْthrough you شُهِرَwas made renowned النَّدىgenerosity
يا آل طاروفٍ بكمْ شُهِرَ النَّدى
فيناamong us ولولاand were it not for أنتمُyou لمnot يُشْهَرbe made renowned
فينا ولولا أنتمُ لم يُشْهَر
O house of Taruf, through you generosity became renowned
Oh House of Tayfur, how generosity
among us; but for you, it would not have been renowned.
Has been diffused through us, and were it not for you, it would not have been diffused
كمhow many معشرٍa people نالتattained بكمْthrough you أَيديهمُtheir hands
كم معشرٍ نالت بكمْ أَيديهمُ
ماwhat لمnot تَنَلْهُattain it قطُّever أَيديthe hands of معشرa people
ما لم تَنَلْهُ قطُّ أَيدي معشر
How many a people's hands, through you, have attained
How many groups have attained, by your hands
what no people's hands had ever attained!
What the hands of no company attained
قالواthey said وقدand already عَدَتِassailed المنونُdeath عليهمupon them
قالوا وقد عَدَتِ المنونُ عليهم
فيin فارسٍFaris طولُlong duration البقاءِcontinued life بجعفرthrough Jaʿfar
في فارسٍ طولُ البقاءِ بجعفر
They said, when death had assailed them
They said, as the days took their turns against them
in Faris: 'Long may life endure through Jaʿfar!'
In Persia, that long life belongs to Ja'far